Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Drew Pearson, Emmitt Smith launch COVID-19 vaccine PSAs

It’s safe to say former Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson has been living on Cloud 9 ever since he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February as a member of the Class of 2021.

His life was good before, but it’s changed forever now.

Everywhere he goes, people are celebrating him or throwing a party for him.

That happened when he went to Baylor Scott & White for his second COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 24.

They had signs and posters set up to celebrate his achievement that weren’t there when he got his first shot just before the Hall of Fame announcement.

“That’s kind of how it’s been since I got it, people are going out of their way doing things,” Pearson said. “I went and got measured for my ring the other day and it was the same thing, a party.”

Pearson is also using this time to give back and use his new-found fame and influence to make a difference.

He and fellow Cowboys Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith are lending their voices to a PSA campaign to educate Texans about the safety and importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Pearson and Smith’s PSAs are part of a campaign with Superior HealthPlan and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in an attempt to tackle vaccine hesitancy and build confidence around the vaccine among Black communities and communities of color that have not yet received a vaccine.

Blacks make up only 8% of those who have been vaccinated despite constituting 13% of the population and accounting for 15% of all COVID-19 deaths.

“It’s important,” Pearson said of his PSA. “It’s been an issue with African-Americans deciding to take the vaccine or not. I want to get the word out and let them know if it’s good enough for Drew Pearson, it’s good enough for them. Hopefully the message will make a difference.”

Pearson and Smith frame the COVID-19 vaccine as the best way to protect your friends and family, while also necessary for achieving the 80-85% vaccination rate that health experts say is needed in order to reach herd immunity.

“Uncertainty around the COVID-19 vaccine could lead some people to delay getting the shot, but the vaccination is the key to being able to return to many of the things we care about like safely spending time with family and friends,” said Dr. David Harmon, chief medical director at Superior HealthPlan. “Through this campaign, we want to empower people to actively contribute to their health and well being by informing them about the benefits of the vaccine.”

The PSA campaign launched nationally recently with PSAs from Hall of Famers Anthony Munoz, Darrell Green, Aeneas Williams; Lisa Salters, a Hall of Fame Selector and TV broadcaster; friends of the Hall Dawn Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner and coach of the 2017 national champion University of South Carolina women’s basketball team; and Iman McFarland, chief operating officer for 21st Century Expo Group and an ambassador for the Hall’s and Centene’s joint “Strong Youth Strong Communities” programming.

“As we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re a team and need to work together to stop the virus from spreading,” said David Baker, president and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “We recognize there are a lot of questions out there about the vaccine, so we want to make sure we’re reaching as many people as possible. We thank Drew for encouraging everyone to get vaccinated for the sake of their loved ones.”